


Aftertaste

by marimoes



Category: One Piece
Genre: Body Shots, Drinking, First Kiss, Gen, M/M, Pre-Canon, kind of?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23787616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marimoes/pseuds/marimoes
Summary: After completing a massive job, the foremen of Dock 1 go out to celebrate together at Blueno's bar. This includes a lot of laughs, general merriment, and shots.The choice of the chaser, however, leaves a funny taste in Paulie's mouth.
Relationships: Paulie/Rob Lucci
Comments: 5
Kudos: 45





	Aftertaste

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot I wrote this like a month ago. Whoops.

“Another!” Lulu cheers, slamming another stack of bills onto the bar. 

They closed on a giant job today, one that took them weeks of back breaking labor on, and the payout was huge. Almost as big as the ship itself, so they’ve been at Blueno’s for the last two hours, celebrating. 

Blueno pulls the bills across, leafing through them to count before shoving them into the cash box beneath the counter. When his hands return into view, they’re holding several shot glasses. His eyebrow raises in question, and with a flick of a hand upwards Lulu gives the command. 

“God,” Paulie sighs before bringing his beer mug up to his lips, “I haven’t done shots in a while.” 

Lucci flits his eyes to him, his own mug still curled in his hand. Condensation pools against his skin as it falls from the glass’s edge, much like the sweat against the back of his neck. It’s far more humid than usual tonight, and the bar almost has a haze about it on the inside. 

Whether he likes that or not, Lucci can’t decide. 

“Not after you almost died last time,” Tilestone laughs, smacking a hard hand against Paulie’s back and he nearly chokes from the slosh into his mouth, “Oops.” 

Paulie pulls the mug from his mouth with a low gasp, coughing up what residue managed its way into his lungs. Lucci’s eyes stay on his mouth, a quiet focus as Paulie licks around them. It only adds more shine against his skin before he wipes his jacket sleeve across his face, breaking Lucci’s gaze. 

“Try not to kill me  _ this time _ ,” Paulie grumbles and his mug lands against the counter with a gentle slam, “Lulu, gimme one.” 

A shot slides down the counter past Lucci, and with a deft hand he scoops it up, downing it in a single movement. Paulie blinks, eyes caught between the now empty counter and the glass against Lucci’s lips. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Paulie says, voice growing louder to pair with the scrape of the stool pushing out from beneath him, “Can’t order for yourself with that goddamn bird?” 

Tilestone places a steadying hand on Paulie’s shoulder, squeezing gently. A look is shared between them, electricity crackling weakly like socks against a carpet, and Paulie sits back down with a huff. 

Blueno slides another shot down the bar and this time Lucci doesn’t move, only smirks as Paulie jerks it off of the wood. 

Their eyes meet as Paulie brings it up to his lips and Lucci’s lull without shutting completely. Heat finds its way to the back of Paulie’s neck, no doubt starting to color him red, so before he can’t blame it on the alcohol he tips the shot back. 

It burns down his throat, but the discomfort is nothing compared to the feeling of Lucci’s eyes on him.

“Blueno, do you have any limes? If we’re going to do shots, we need limes,” Kaku says at the other end, leaning against the counter. He places his head into his hands, and when Blueno sighs, he grins wide, “Come on, it’s a grand time when you can kill them. We’ll pay you for them, no need to worry.” 

Blueno turns around, hands working through the few containers of garnishes he keeps. “No limes. Only lemons.” 

“It is still citrus. Will do just fine, thanks.” 

Lucci turns to the conversation, finding Kaku who is already digging more bills from his pocket. He smacks a few onto the counter, nudging them forward a little, and Blueno sets a plate of lemon wedges beside them before pushing the cash back. Kaku starts to nudge them forward again in a silent argument, but Blueno grabs the stack before he can. 

“Next round.” Is all he offers before tucking them into his pocket, and Kaku again grins. 

“Well,” Kaku says, letting his voice dip to mimic Iceburg’s and the room chuckles, “I suppose the next round is on me.” 

Paulie pulls his mug back up, downing the rest of his glass with a single gulp and smacks at the release. Lucci wants to shudder at the noise, but refrains if only to keep Paulie from noticing. Everything about the man should be vile to him, yet Lucci finds himself staring more and more these days. 

Why is that?

Holding a hand up, Lucci signals for a shot, and through Hattori says, “Salt.” 

Paulie cautiously eyes Lucci as he sets everything up on the bar’s edge. Caution becomes irritation when Lucci holds out his hand towards Paulie wordlessly, his fingers moving slightly to signal. What he’s signaling—Paulie has no clue. 

“Will you ever just use your damn words? What do ya need from me? Because you aren’t get—” Paulie’s words are cut off as Lucci grabs his left hand, pulling it up to his mouth. Before Paulie can blink, much less speak, Lucci licks a clean stripe across his wrist. 

His tongue is warm and quick, leaving Paulie’s head to swim with something he prays is inebriation. With his free hand, Lucci has already picked up the salt off the counter and is shaking it onto Paulie’s wettened wrist. Their eyes meet over the bridge made by their hands, and Lucci doesn’t look away as he licks the salt off before immediately tossing back the shot. 

Paulie is frozen and only seems to come to when the sound of glass against wood rings in his ear. He finds Lucci is still holding his hand, wrist still bent up in position next to his mouth. Still searching, Paulie’s eyes find Lucci’s mouth, and within it sits a lemon wedge. His eyes crinkle as he sucks the citrus, and Paulie wonders if he’s ever seen that much emotion grace Lucci’s face before. 

A whistle comes from the end of the bar—Lulu, Paulie thinks—but he dare not look. 

He can only watch as Lucci holds up his hand again and another shot is slid down next to him. Paulie smacks his lips dryly and a low laugh floats from Lucci’s lips before he tugs him closer again. Another heavy lick, another dash of salt, and another shot all happen before Paulie’s eyes in a blur.

All of it feels just as surreal as the first time. All of it making his skin nearly itch with a cross between arousal and confusion. 

Why isn’t anyone stopping him? This is actually happening right?

This time, when Lucci reaches for the lemon, he doesn’t bring it to his mouth. He instead places it rind side out between his fingers, and tucks it into Paulie’s half open mouth. The bite of sour strikes at the end of his tongue, snapping him back to reality. 

Leaving Paulie only a second to get his bearings before Lucci leans forwards, shot now swallowed, to bite the lemon. Their lips press together just long enough for Lucci to suck on the wedge. Sour, salt, liquor, and Lucci mix against Paulie’s lower lip in a delicious balance. 

The rest of the bar fades and only Lucci’s mouth exists, lingering for what feels like an eternity. Perpetuated by Lucci swiping the lemon’s residue off Paulie’s lower lip and chin with another dart of his tongue. He’s only had two beers and a shot tonight, but after that, Paulie feels beyond drunk.

If he stood up right now, Paulie is certain he would stagger.

Lucci sets the glass back against the counter and the rest of the world comes back into focus. Sound raising back up into a roar, Paulie realizes they’re all preoccupied with anything but what just happened between the two of them. He swallows and his skin feels like fire has caught him, like the liquor was poured over his body instead of into the glasses. 

“ _ You’re drunk _ ,” Paulie says, his own voice sounding distant in his ears, and he watches Lucci lean back against the bar. His legs cross easily, bouncing twice before Paulie finds his words again, “You’re drunk. Go home, Lucci.” 

His eyes roll gently, staying on Paulie for a beat as his lips quirk into a soft smirk. They both know Paulie wants anything but that. 

Lucci wipes the corner of his mouth off with his thumb, and says, “You think that I should go?” 

Whether it’s the pitch of Hattori’s voice, or the consuming fear of the shade of his face, Paulie finds himself nodding. He doesn’t want Lucci gone. He  _ needs _ it. 

To his surprise, Lucci listens and pushes himself up off the stool in a fluid motion to stand. He glances towards Kaku, finding his eyes for a beat before looking towards the doors. When he takes a step forward, Paulie wants to reach out and grab him, but he can’t make himself move. 

He can only watch as Lucci slips into the night in less than a minute, never looking back. 

Paulie looks down at his gleaming wrist, stomach in knots he didn’t think it could make. Everything was real just then. Why does he feel so empty now? The click of glass against wood draws his focus and Paulie finds a new shot still sitting within Blueno’s hand. 

He looks at the gold liqueur gleaming within and his mouth starts to water. Eyeing the salt shaker and lemons, Paulie considers it for a moment. It may help drive the nerves out of his stomach, or it may make them worse.

Scratching the back of his neck, Paulie shakes his head and swallows. 

“Na, thanks though,” He dismisses quietly, and Blueno pulls it back with a single nod, “I think—I think I’ve had enough tonight.” 

With a quick goodbye, and a single warning to Tilestone, Paulie heads home. Left with only his thoughts, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, and an aftertaste on his tongue.


End file.
